1. Listen to a new Reuters Video News article, then provide a quick summary of the content, a personal opinion and a prediction related to the content. [10 points total]

2. Choose a previously covered Reuters Video News article from a pre-set list, outline its content and provide a personal opinion and a prediction related to this content. [30 points total]

Part B: Reflecting on Practical English Applications (75 minutes)

3. Write about activities used to date in this class, explaining what the activities are aimed at, how they are applied, and why. [40 points total]

4. Write about the approach and activities used in the Widgets textbook to date, and how they can inspire a task-based approach to classroom learning. [20 points total]

Scoring:Part A carries 40 points. Part B carries 60 points. Total points available on the exam will therefore be 100. This score will be converted to a score out of 25 which will represent the mid-term exam percentage applied to the eventual overall grade for this course.

My apologies ~ I really meant to get some information of this nature up here in the forum earlier. In any case, I hope it gives some helpful pointers to any of you doing some last minute preparation for the test.

1. Listen to a new Reuters Video News article, then provide a quick summary of the content, a personal opinion and a prediction related to the content. [10 points total]

Tips:

As indicated, this will be a new video that hasn't been covered in class or in the forum before. However, if you visit www.reuters.com, look in the video section and try to watch as many of the high-interest stories as possible, you'll be giving yourself a good preview. The video article for this section will be drawn from a news story aired on Reuters some time in the past week.

However, the most important thing for this section is to relax and just concentrate on getting the main idea of the story. Some students have expressed a lot of stress about coping with a brand new video that they haven't seen before and can only listen to once. Generally speaking, you may be making this harder on yourself than you need to. All you need to do is demonstrate a broad topical understanding, which you then express your own opinion in response to and try to formulate some sort of rational prediction.

About half an A4-page would be the ideal response for this topic.

2. Choose a previously covered Reuters Video News article from a pre-set list, outline its content and provide a personal opinion and a prediction related to this content. [30 points total]

Tips:

We have so far covered 12 video news stories in this forum this term. Of those 12, four of the stories will be shortlisted (one from each week of video news we covered). So basically, for each week there were three video news stories. One story from each week will be shortlisted. You won't listen to the articles again - it will be assumed you already know about them based on what we've done during the term up until this point. Of the four articles listed, you will only need to choose one to write about/respond to.

Clearly the best way to prepare for this is to go back and review the 12 news articles covered in the forum. In addition to the ones you responded to in the forum, make sure you have some understanding of the other stories covered each week. You can safely assume that the shortlisted stories will be the clearest and most practical. Also review your ability to summarize story content, present a clear opinion with reasons and examples to support it, and make predictions about future developments or possibilities based on the story content and your own critical thinking.

Given you have already had (or should have had) good exposure to these articles, you will be expected to respond in more detail than you did in question 1 (which is a new article). With a summary, opinion and prediction, about 1 page of text as a response would be appropriate.

Part B: Reflecting on Practical English Applications (75 minutes)

3. Write about activities used to date in this class, explaining what the activities are aimed at, how they are applied, and why. [40 points total]

Tips:

You will need to discuss four activities demonstrated and explained in this class, with each activity worth 10 points. For each, you will need to indicate the general aim of the activitiy, describe its application in class, and why it could be a beneficial classroom activity for language learners (obviously your own opinion is very crucial here, and you are welcome to explain your own feelings and reactions to the activities from a student perspective).

Please note that the activities will be listed, and from them you can choose the four you feel most confident to talk about. You will generally be expected to produce half to a full page response for each activity you discuss.

4. Write about the approach and activities used in the Widgets textbook to date, and how they can inspire a task-based approach to classroom learning. [20 points total]

Tips:

For this part of the test, you will be given a general explanation about "Task-based Learning". From there it will be up to you to draw on the activities and approach in the Widgets textbook to discuss how they may demonstrate TBL (Task-Based Learning) in action. You will need to strike a balance between "teacher" and "student" here in your response. Basically, how (as a teacher) do you understand the tasks and their goals, and how (as a student) did you feel as you were engaging in them yourself in a classroom context?

You will be allowed to refer to the Widgets textbook when you do this part of the test, and the format is reasonably open and flexible. This is more about your own understanding and opinion than finding specific details and elaborating on them. You will need to generate a response in the realm of 1-2 pages to score well in this section.

You may find it helpful to brush up on your understanding of Task-Based Learning before you take the test. It would also be a good idea to flip through the tasks we have already done in the Widgets book and think about how they could be applying characteristics of a task-based approach. Also, try to remember how the tasks were applied in class, what you were doing with classmates, and how the activities made you feel.

Scoring:Part A carries 40 points. Part B carries 60 points. Total points available on the exam will therefore be 100. This score will be converted to a score out of 25 which will represent the mid-term exam percentage applied to the eventual overall grade for this course.

I was quite stunned to the announcement of mid-term exam and didn't know how to prepare it.. Thank you for specific guide lines. I'm sure it will help me a lot. Well begun is half done. Is that right? I'd better set on preparing for the test.

I'm sorry you found the mid-term test to be a bit of a shock. Believe me when I tell you that you have very little to worry about, though. Basically, students who have been attending, paying attention and doing their best will have no major problems doing well on this test. I assure you that every single student is very quick to say they're doing their best, but that can be pretty relative. There are more than 40 students in this class, and it is very clear to me that some are trying harder and doing better than others. Those hard-working and attentive people deserve to have their efforts rewarded in an impartial way, while the students who have been slipping need a bit of 'kick start' to remind them they need to stay focused an up to a minimum standard.

Personally, I would much rather skip exams and let the scores reflect classroom efforts and online participation. I was fair and announced that skipping an exam was conditional upon EVERY student in the class doing well. That didn't happen. As a teacher, if you then back down and try to "understand" every little excuse, complaint and exception that individual students try to bring to you at the last minute, you are well and truly doomed... Not only do you end up delivering unfair assessment, you basically let the students feel they are in control of the class and can do whatever they want whenever they want. I've met many teachers who doomed themselves by thinking it was their role to be the students' friend. That is a very grand delusion. A teacher should always be "friendly", but at the end of the day it is their utmost responsibility to ensure students are learning, and that all students are rated according to their performance - not how they make the teacher 'feel'. In actual fact, to be a real 'friend' as a teacher, you have to consider the longer term impact of your instruction. Not all of my students have ended up liking me, but I daresay most of them learned a lot and respected their teacher's approach.

In any case, it's not my intention to harp on too much about this. You are all MA level students, being groomed to become the most talented and disciplined classroom English teachers in Korea. You chose to do the MA, not me. I adore all the students in this class (really, I do!), but that won't affect my responsibilities as the course convener.

Let's just hope that the attitude and participation of all the students in this class improves in such a way that we have no need to apply an exam at the end of the term. That is the new goal for us as a class once the mid-term is over and done with.

Yes, I couldn't agree with Liz more. It will be much helpful for us. I give my thanks to Jason. The two hours of the test is not that I do on exam. My energy will be drained out through the testing time. But I am sure that I will be good during the time. Unfortunately, I don't have much time to review all you mentioned thoroughly owing to the fact that I have 7 classes today, which of them I already had four. The only two house among classes were my resting time. And there is more things I have to do tonight. My daughter will be 1 year old by Friday, so I need some things to pick up from snaps store. I am not here to complain the mid term exam. Even though I don't have much time to prepare it, I will do my best on it.Well, already Liz said, " Well begun is half done."I hope it will be applying to me tomorrow. Thanks a million to Jason. I will see you in school.

Hi, Jason. Reading the more specific guideline for the exam, I feel more anxious about it, as if I were with my students in the same boat !- My students are supposed to take mid-term exam from April 28 through 30th. However, since you gave us helpful tips for the test, now I have to do my best. I says to myself ,"Heaven helps those help themselves." Wish me luck !!

Jason~~!!Thanks for your guidelines for the mid-term exam.Actually, when I heard that we should take the mid-term test from you, I was a little stressed. Since then, I've been worried about it. But after reading the guidelines I found that I don't need to be worried too much.Anyway, it's quite helpful. Thanks again...^^

Last edited by Kang Eunmi on Wed Apr 16 2008, 13:07; edited 1 time in total

Kang Eunmi wrote:Jason~~!!Thanks for your guidelines for the mid-term exam.Actually, when I heard that we should take the mid-term test from you, I was a little stressed. Since then, I've been worried about it. But after reading the guidelines I found that I don't need to be worried too much.Anyway, it quite helpful. Thanks again...^^

Good for you, Eunmi!

I'm glad you see it this way. By MA standards, this is about the easiest exam I have seen ever. If you can reflect and think, and show you have paid some basic attention, this test is a breeze.

First i would like to give my heartfelt thanks for your sincere and well-thought-out guideline for the upcoming mid-term exam. Like other students said in their quotes, this guideline is not only sure to help the students a lot, but it will also act as a 'guideline' when they are giving or will give their mid-term exams to middle or high school students. As far as i remember, when i went to middle and high school, most of the 'then' teachers were only letting us know a broad range of the test subjects and we had to prepare for everything from A to Z. In particular, under the current college entrance exam system, almost all of the English subjects in high schools in Korea are allotted only for practising the college-entrance-exam-type questions all the year around right before the 'real' test, so the mid- or final-term exam usually involves multiple choice tests, which is quite similiar to what the students are tested in KSAT(Korean Scholastic Aptitude Test). However, I learned in the undergraduate school that there are three basic rationales for giving tests: validity, realiability, and practicality. Among them, i think, validity is of course the most important criterion to be tested. Students need to be evaluated based on what they've actually learned and done during the class. At this backdrop, though your mid-term exam seems a little burden to me, nobody will ever be able to question the way you are giving the mid-term exam and your kind explanation like this guideline will definitely help worrisome students like me. Besides, i am thinking that i may try your way of testing in my class, giving a full explanation on everything about the test except for the answers. Thanks again!

1. Listen to a new Reuters Video News article, then provide a quick summary of the content, a personal opinion and a prediction related to the content. [10 points total]

2. Choose a previously covered Reuters Video News article from a pre-set list, outline its content and provide a personal opinion and a prediction related to this content. [30 points total]

Part B: Reflecting on Practical English Applications (75 minutes)

3. Write about activities used to date in this class, explaining what the activities are aimed at, how they are applied, and why. [40 points total]

4. Write about the approach and activities used in the Widgets textbook to date, and how they can inspire a task-based approach to classroom learning. [20 points total]

Scoring:Part A carries 40 points. Part B carries 60 points. Total points available on the exam will therefore be 100. This score will be converted to a score out of 25 which will represent the mid-term exam percentage applied to the eventual overall grade for this course.

Jason, Thank you for your guideline. Actually I did not clearly understand mid-term exam last class and forget about it.Today, I have no schedule so I went to public bath to stress out but I realized that I have mid-term test in tomorrow. I could not stay in hot water long because of worries and come back home early. Now, I am relaxed with your help.

Actually, before I started my first term at grad school, I thought classes would be easy going because most students are currently teachers or students who are busy preparing exam to be a teacher. No way! I was totally wrong. I've been so stressed out because of demanding classes and preparation of the exam to be a teacher. However, I'm getting used to it day by day and most importantly, I'm learning. I'm learning a lot. Likewise, this midterm is stressful in some ways, but I think this is a good opportunity that I can review thoroughly. Plus, I have helpful guideline. I cannot thank you enough Jason for this guideline and keeping me studying English hard.

It's my every inch of my concerns or excuses but I felt it's my lack of eagerness to do your assignments from the first. actually, I'm now spending all of my hours on completing the master's thesis. that's why I have no choice but to focus on it. but at any rate I absolutely knew I shoud do my best in your class as a student.

After you wrote some tips above, I felt so sorry after reading. Every time I enter your classes, I have some inspirations or motivations to incite me to the better way and decide to make up materials I skipped, but I just came back to my lazy routine.

however, first I believe myself and strongly believe you, Jason. I convincely remember that the day I asked sincerely something important to you. That might be turnpoint of my life within a few years as to my job.

"You definitely don't go there, you can also do that enough even through this"

I'll try to carve it deeply with my heart and I promise I must be good student from now on.

Ji Young, Kim wrote:One very strange thing about a test is that no matter how many tests you have had, you're never gonna get used to it and feel comfortable about it if you are the one who must anwer all the questons!! When I make test questons for mid-terms and finals as a teacher, the word "test" doesn't make me nervous or stressed out. However, though I have had numerous tests as a student, still I can't say I'm happy or comfortable about any kind of tests I should take.

I just read the guidelines for tomorrow's exam and I feel I'm not ready or prepared for it yet. I don't think it's the kind of exam that you can cram for the night before, so it must be a fair exam for those who have actively participated in all the class or on-line activities. Definitely I have enjoyed this class, but in many cases it's quite true that to like something is one thing and to be good at it is another.

I wish all of you good luck with the mid-term, and I hope at least such a thing will not happen that I will be disappointed in myself after the exam.

by Lee yujin Today at 11:54 amPlease don't be upset woth my opinion..^^i just want to tell my feelings about exams.I know you have a right to decide how we would be assessed and Your assessment methods are really nice and valide.however personally I think 2 hours is too long to take an exam, which could make students exhausted and tired especially when they feel intense and uncomfortable^^Of course I know most of the students can handle it without any problems.

Thank you for your guideline. I could grasp something about mid-exam.I'm not sure whether I prepare this exam well or not.As you see the time, TODAY is the day!!! Because of something I must do, actually, I couldn't prepare it until now.

Anyway, I want to say "thanks" one more time and your sincere concern.See you.

by Lee yujin Today at 11:54 amPlease don't be upset woth my opinion..^^i just want to tell my feelings about exams.I know you have a right to decide how we would be assessed and Your assessment methods are really nice and valide.however personally I think 2 hours is too long to take an exam, which could make students exhausted and tired especially when they feel intense and uncomfortable^^Of course I know most of the students can handle it without any problems.

My goodness gracious me, young lady - what do you think is going to happen when it comes time for you to take your teacher's exam?

Out of kindness, I limited the exam to 2 hours rather than 3 (the full class time alotment), so as not to completely exhaust them but still ensure there is comfortable time to finish the questions adequately.

Perhaps we could shorten the exam to 1 hour in duration, but maintain the same requirements (which I deem necessary to actually check that students have been learning in this course)... Personally I think that would result in some true stress and discomfort, and possibly some tears from some students as I take their paper away from them as they beg for more time.

You're a lovely student (and I'm very happy with your efforts in this class), but to speak very honestly, you need to toughen up. This is not a hagwon or a recreational center. I never thought I would see the day that an MA student from one of the most prestigious universities in the country would moan about a 2-hour exam...

I'm also curious - would you make this comment to one of your Korean professors?

Hello,, I'm HAESOL~ who is preparing for my midterm in my first year of gradschool. I'm so excited actually. but still.. i'm worried too like others. and I didn't know you put this guideline here on line! How stupid I am!! Anyways,,, as you mentioned earlier, I hope this test would be ok. Basically if i attended this class very well then I dont need to worry about it. right? I think through this test we can wrap up the things we've covered so far and make good summary for it. And we can learn from everything! Good luck to you guys and me!!

sunnypine wrote:Hello,, I'm HAESOL~ who is preparing for my midterm in my first year of gradschool. I'm so excited actually. but still.. i'm worried too like others. and I didn't know you put this guideline here on line! How stupid I am!! Anyways,,, as you mentioned earlier, I hope this test would be ok. Basically if i attended this class very well then I dont need to worry about it. right? I think through this test we can wrap up the things we've covered so far and make good summary for it. And we can learn from everything! Good luck to you guys and me!!

Hi Haesol,

Basically if i attended this class very well then I dont need to worry about it. right?

Sure. If you attended well and paid a good amount of attention to what was happening (and I believe you did), then you have very little (if anything) to worry about!

I think through this test we can wrap up the things we've covered so far and make good summary for it. And we can learn from everything!

You betcha. I'm so happy to see you've noticed this, though Billy (above) is also getting the idea of what this is about. Good assessment is not about punishing students or causing them a whole bag of stress just for the sake of it. Assessment can actually be useful. Yes, it will make for an excellent summary of all the wonderful things we've been doing in class for the past 6 weeks. And as Billy mentioned, you have here a very positive model for an alternative method of assessment with your own learners later.

Something else to keep in mind... If you manage the test well and achieve a good score, it will be a wonderful feeling of accomplishment for you. If the score is a little patchy, looking at the test you'll be able to see exactly the things you ought to think about a little deeper and develop more as a student and as a teacher.

I have utmost confidence in our great students to perform well on this test!

Hi Haesol....^^I'm young or 40-year-old woman as you know....You are an absolutely optimistic person and so cute....^^You made me cheer up and thank you see you today's class.....

sunnypine wrote:Hello,, I'm HAESOL~ who is preparing for my midterm in my first year of gradschool. I'm so excited actually. but still.. i'm worried too like others. and I didn't know you put this guideline here on line! How stupid I am!! Anyways,,, as you mentioned earlier, I hope this test would be ok. Basically if i attended this class very well then I dont need to worry about it. right? I think through this test we can wrap up the things we've covered so far and make good summary for it. And we can learn from everything! Good luck to you guys and me!!

billy wrote:First i would like to give my heartfelt thanks for your sincere and well-thought-out guideline for the upcoming mid-term exam. Like other students said in their quotes, this guideline is not only sure to help the students a lot, but it will also act as a 'guideline' when they are giving or will give their mid-term exams to middle or high school students. As far as i remember, when i went to middle and high school, most of the 'then' teachers were only letting us know a broad range of the test subjects and we had to prepare for everything from A to Z. In particular, under the current college entrance exam system, almost all of the English subjects in high schools in Korea are allotted only for practising the college-entrance-exam-type questions all the year around right before the 'real' test, so the mid- or final-term exam usually involves multiple choice tests, which is quite similiar to what the students are tested in KSAT(Korean Scholastic Aptitude Test). However, I learned in the undergraduate school that there are three basic rationales for giving tests: validity, realiability, and practicality. Among them, i think, validity is of course the most important criterion to be tested. Students need to be evaluated based on what they've actually learned and done during the class. At this backdrop, though your mid-term exam seems a little burden to me, nobody will ever be able to question the way you are giving the mid-term exam and your kind explanation like this guideline will definitely help worrisome students like me. Besides, i am thinking that i may try your way of testing in my class, giving a full explanation on everything about the test except for the answers. Thanks again!

1. Listen to a new Reuters Video News article, then provide a quick summary of the content, a personal opinion and a prediction related to the content. [10 points total]

2. Choose a previously covered Reuters Video News article from a pre-set list, outline its content and provide a personal opinion and a prediction related to this content. [30 points total]

Part B: Reflecting on Practical English Applications (75 minutes)

3. Write about activities used to date in this class, explaining what the activities are aimed at, how they are applied, and why. [40 points total]

4. Write about the approach and activities used in the Widgets textbook to date, and how they can inspire a task-based approach to classroom learning. [20 points total]

Scoring:Part A carries 40 points. Part B carries 60 points. Total points available on the exam will therefore be 100. This score will be converted to a score out of 25 which will represent the mid-term exam percentage applied to the eventual overall grade for this course.

I couldn't agree more. Actually I had no idea when I heard that we are going to have a test for this course. I am sorry that I missed classes and it was really hard for me just to follow this course. But this guidelines show me the way how I should prepare the test. But the problem is tha two- hour test!!I am not sure if i will be able to concentrate on the test during such a long time. But i will do my best.^^

Also I thought that I should have given some guidelines for the test to my students. Clear guidelines will eliminate some of the anxiety that my students might feel and let the students prepare the test well. So from now i will.Thank you give me the chance to think abour guidelines for the test.

billy wrote:First i would like to give my heartfelt thanks for your sincere and well-thought-out guideline for the upcoming mid-term exam. Like other students said in their quotes, this guideline is not only sure to help the students a lot, but it will also act as a 'guideline' when they are giving or will give their mid-term exams to middle or high school students. As far as i remember, when i went to middle and high school, most of the 'then' teachers were only letting us know a broad range of the test subjects and we had to prepare for everything from A to Z. In particular, under the current college entrance exam system, almost all of the English subjects in high schools in Korea are allotted only for practising the college-entrance-exam-type questions all the year around right before the 'real' test, so the mid- or final-term exam usually involves multiple choice tests, which is quite similiar to what the students are tested in KSAT(Korean Scholastic Aptitude Test). However, I learned in the undergraduate school that there are three basic rationales for giving tests: validity, realiability, and practicality. Among them, i think, validity is of course the most important criterion to be tested. Students need to be evaluated based on what they've actually learned and done during the class. At this backdrop, though your mid-term exam seems a little burden to me, nobody will ever be able to question the way you are giving the mid-term exam and your kind explanation like this guideline will definitely help worrisome students like me. Besides, i am thinking that i may try your way of testing in my class, giving a full explanation on everything about the test except for the answers. Thanks again!

1. Listen to a new Reuters Video News article, then provide a quick summary of the content, a personal opinion and a prediction related to the content. [10 points total]

2. Choose a previously covered Reuters Video News article from a pre-set list, outline its content and provide a personal opinion and a prediction related to this content. [30 points total]

Part B: Reflecting on Practical English Applications (75 minutes)

3. Write about activities used to date in this class, explaining what the activities are aimed at, how they are applied, and why. [40 points total]

4. Write about the approach and activities used in the Widgets textbook to date, and how they can inspire a task-based approach to classroom learning. [20 points total]

Scoring:Part A carries 40 points. Part B carries 60 points. Total points available on the exam will therefore be 100. This score will be converted to a score out of 25 which will represent the mid-term exam percentage applied to the eventual overall grade for this course.

I couldn't agree more. Actually I had no idea when I heard that we are going to have a test for this course. I am sorry that I missed classes and it was really hard for me just to follow this course. But this guidelines show me the way how I should prepare the test. But the problem is tha two- hour test!!I am not sure if i will be able to concentrate on the test during such a long time. But i will do my best.^^

Also I thought that I should have given some guidelines for the test to my students. Clear guidelines will eliminate some of the anxiety that my students might feel and let the students prepare the test well. So from now i will.Thank you give me the chance to think abour guidelines for the test.

Hi Mijin,

Thanks for your attitude and efforts.

Yes, it is essential whenever you do testing to give your students a good understanding of what it is you expect from them. Aside from the fact that it reduces the "nasty stressful shock" element of a test, it is basically fair and considerate to your learners. A test should be applied to give learners an opportunity to consolidate and demonstrate what they have learned.

You do need to be quite careful, however. It is important not to just give the learners a list of things to memorize and regurgitate on paper. You want to give them the parameters and general areas to consider, and let them take it from there. If you are managing to get your learners thinking (and even debating) before the test is applied, you are greatly adding to the overall value of the whole exercise.

I'm happy to hear that, beyond your own preparation for this particular test, this has given you a chance to reflect on your own teaching approach (along with Billy and other teachers). That's fantastic.

Thank you for your guideline for the exam.It was helpful for me to prepare for it. haha.By the way, I had sore arm & hand (of course the right one.) and shoulder after finishing the exam. I couldn't give my body a break during the test. Have a nice weekend ~~

by Lee yujin Today at 11:54 amPlease don't be upset woth my opinion..^^i just want to tell my feelings about exams.I know you have a right to decide how we would be assessed and Your assessment methods are really nice and valide.however personally I think 2 hours is too long to take an exam, which could make students exhausted and tired especially when they feel intense and uncomfortable^^Of course I know most of the students can handle it without any problems.

My goodness gracious me, young lady - what do you think is going to happen when it comes time for you to take your teacher's exam?

Out of kindness, I limited the exam to 2 hours rather than 3 (the full class time alotment), so as not to completely exhaust them but still ensure there is comfortable time to finish the questions adequately.

Perhaps we could shorten the exam to 1 hour in duration, but maintain the same requirements (which I deem necessary to actually check that students have been learning in this course)... Personally I think that would result in some true stress and discomfort, and possibly some tears from some students as I take their paper away from them as they beg for more time.

You're a lovely student (and I'm very happy with your efforts in this class), but to speak very honestly, you need to toughen up. This is not a hagwon or a recreational center. I never thought I would see the day that an MA student from one of the most prestigious universities in the country would moan about a 2-hour exam...

I'm also curious - would you make this comment to one of your Korean professors?

Mmmmm

Best of luck to you in the exam ~ I'm sure you'll do well.

Take care,

~ Jason

***

I'm sorry.I never took an 2-hour test when I was in university..^^So I was just a little bit anxious about that.Also writing test would make me feel worried, because I am not good at writing under the time limits.I think I've gone through well...because as you said I'm MA student.I think I willl be strong enough to deal with more difficult and consuming exam...I will absolutely be !!

I didn't mean to be rude or complain.^^I just wanted to talk about my feelings. I strongly believe that you understand me, don't I?